For some weeks in Catalonia most of the population is a bit unhappy. As you may know in Spain we have a big deficit and in order not to follow Greece, Ireland and Portugal need of a bailout, the IMF and the European Union is asking the Spanish governement to reduce the deficit which means to cut spendings.

So, in Catalonia, for some weeks, we have been told that cuts will be made in health services and education. It seems that there is a money that the central government could give us back but the central government prefers to retain the money back so that their deficit is less so that we make happy the IMF and the European Union.

I say all that because it is easy to realize that in countries with austerity measures the IMF or International Monetary Fund is just an image of the “bad guy” because we all know all that of “we need these unpopular austerity measures because the IMF is asking us for this”. I am sure that in Greece, Portugal and Ireland must know this sentence quite well.

The IMF is for people under austerity measures a kind of malevolous abstract force that rules your world. Some may say that if the country had acted correctly it wouldn’t need the help of the IMF so that the IMF is not guilty but the country itself for its mishandling of its economy.

Anyway, the fact is that now in the world there are a series of countries where cuts are made and the IMF represents the one to say “you have to continue with the cuts if you want we continue lending your money”. In some way the IMF represents how the world is ruled economically.

So, when you are under the orders of the IMF and you read that the chairman of the IMF, DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN is been accused of sexual misconduct in a luxurious Manhattan hotel you feel a bit as if the world was a shit.

It is obvious that IMF is an institution and DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN is just a human being with its possible weaknesses but the fact that he’s currently the chairman makes me wonder how can you have milions of people around the globe under IMF austerity measures when the IMF Chairman is accussed of misconduct?

I say all this because in Catalonia we have been asked for austerity in health and education. The big markets, the IMF, want us to cut spending. But how can the IMF ask a whole country to make sacrifices when the chairman of the IMF is surrounded by scandal.

I know that any scandal of the chairman of the IMF is not excuse for Catalonia, or other territories, not to cut spending, but, it does not help to read about stories related to IMF and luxurious hotels and possible misconducts.

How can a chairman ask to cut excesses in spending when this same chairman is associated to excesses in sex?

I just hope that as soon as possible we know if Dominique has done something wrong or not.

It is sad news. But Stauss – Kahn is a human being. His achievements in IMF are well known. Let his contributions to governance in France and IMF count. He may be let off with a warning. Because of his rich knowledge of economy, finance and vast experience, his advisory services may still be used by the world. Let him not be condemned. Give him a chance to live honorably and continue to serve the people.